Innovation in Action at Alexander Stadium
Back in June, more than 150 colleagues, students, and partners came together at Alexander Stadium for FoundryLIVE 2025—a three-day celebration of creativity, digital innovation, and practical problem solving.
Now, three months on, we’ve had time to reflect on what the event achieved, and why it matters for the way we work at Birmingham City Council.
What was FoundryLIVE all about?
FoundryLIVE brought together council staff, students, tech partners and local authority guests to:
- Explore service redesign, accessibility and automation
- Co-design smarter, simpler ways of working
- Tackle real-world service challenges through hands-on hackathons
- Share ideas, learning and inspiration at the final day Inspire Conference
Highlights from the week
10 Build Zones took on live service problems
From automating council tax voids to rethinking FOI response workflows, teams worked at pace to prototype new approaches with real potential to improve services for residents and staff.
Workshops on tools for transformation
Colleagues explored accessibility best practice, inclusive design, and digital automation in practical sessions led by internal experts and external partners.
The Inspire Conference
The week culminated with project teams showcasing their ideas and learning to a wider audience—sparking conversations about how we can continue to work smarter.
A visit from council leadership
We were proud to welcome Joanne Roney and members of the Corporate Leadership Team. Their presence reinforced the message that innovation is for everyone, and it matters now more than ever.
Real problems, real solutions
From automated document workflows to better service request portals, the prototypes were grounded in reality, designed by the people who know the challenges best. Some ideas even pushed us to rethink how we use data and design digital services.
Why it matters now
Three months on, many of the ideas developed at FoundryLIVE are being explored further through the Foundry. They’re already shaping how we respond to challenges and how we deliver services.
Most importantly, the event showed what’s possible when we bring people together, break down silos, and give teams the time, space and support to think differently.